Field Hockey

Field Hockey Falls at Middlebury, 5-1

MIDDLEBURY, VT-Host Middlebury scored four goals during a span of less than 15 minutes during the first half and went on to defeat the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's field hockey team, 5-1, in a first round NCAA Division III Tournament match at Peter Kohn Field Wednesday afternoon.

The Panthers took the lead on their fifth shot of the game, as Lauren Greer scored her first of two goals at 6:42 of the first half. Heather McCormack drew the assist. Greer scored to make it 2-0 at 16:54, re-directing home a pass from Sally Ryan. Chase Delano then scored at 18:40 and again at 21:33, the second goal coming on a rebound, to give Middlebury a 4-0 advantage.

M ullery Doar scored 1:40 into the second half to increase the Panther advantage to 5-0. Junior forward Stephanie Kinchla (Falmouth, MA/Falmouth HS) put UMass Dartmouth on the board when she fired home a pass from senior midfielder Kylie Treat (Hampstead, NH/Pinkerton Academy) at 43:08.

"Middlebury had a lot of talent, they worked the ball well as a team, and I think that we came out thinking more about being in the NCAA Tournament than playing to our ability," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Nicole Castonguay. "We were defensive, and we played like rookies in the NCAA Tournament, while Middlebury has been here befoie, and they knew what to expect."

A Corsair time out after the third Panther goal helped UMD adjust. "Adter that, we played much better," said Castonguay. "Now, it's a matter of getting that experience, and being able to compete with teams in the top 20."

The Panthers out shot the Corsairs, 20-4, including a 17-1 margin in the first half. Senior goalkeeper Seana Golden (Somerset, MA/Bishop Stang HS) made seven saves for UMD, while Madeline Brooks made one for Middlebury.

The loss ended a season in which UMass Dartmouth went farther than ever. "We reached our goals for the season, winning the LEC Championship and getting to the NCAA Championship," said Castonguay. "After the game, I thanked our coaches and our seniors for an unbelievable run. We now have a different standard for our program, and we will have to commit to a different level to take the next step."

UMass Dartmouth dropped to 15-7 with the defeat in their first appearance ever in the NCAA Tournament, while Middlebury improved to 12-4 with the victory and is now 17-9 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. The Panthers advanced to play Trinity Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Division III Regional Championships at Ursinus. The match was the final competition of the season for the Corsairs.